Android OS holds the largest share of the global smartphone market and one of the reasons for this is customizable interface, which allow us to personalize the device, select what we prefer in terms of apps, games, custom settings, and try out amazing smartphone tricks and tips.
For instance we can personalize Android shortcuts, widgets and search boxes, download a background image that comes alive- although this feature drains your battery significantly- and even add new names to the default dictionary.
The following are some of the more useful smartphone tricks and tips for Android users.
Hack 1: Charge your phone faster
The biggest hassle in our daily lives is getting our bricks charged. While there are some with state-of-the-art C-type charging support, what’s the rest of crowd supposed to do?
The trick is simple; turn on your phone’s Airplane Mode while charging. Better yet, turn the phone off. This way, the phone will not burn energy in a continuous effort to connect to cell phone towers and plot GPS.
Also, avoid using your phone while charging. As Li-ion batteries have a limited charge cycle, manufacturers discourage phone usage while charging to forestall battery replacement. Why else do you think they pack a short charging cable?
Hack 2. Disable animations
This is one of the easiest ways to make your Android phone run faster and smoother. We will however, need to activate Developer Options, which we can find in the Settings area or About Device. Bear in mind some phones require that we tap on the Build number repeatedly until this message pops up- “You are now a developer!”
After successfully enabling Developer options, look for features such as Animation duration scale, Window animation scale, and Transition animation scale. One by one, turn off all three features.
Hack 3: Check for Android system updates
Users who use stock ROM, you may need to perform an update to our system.
i. Open Settings> About phone- or tablet if applicable;
ii. Select system updates;
iii. Tap the Check now button to check for newer updates to our system.
Hack 4: Disable automatic App updates
Some users prefer to go through app permissions individually and select which updates to install on the device. In order to do this, start by disabling automatic app updates.
i. Go to Play Store and tap on Settings;
ii. Select Auto-update apps;
iii. Select Do not auto-update apps.
Hack 5: Avoid Ads while playing games
Any in-app ad can be avoided by turning on the Airplane mode or turning off the Internet connection. Hence, by turning off your mobile data or Wi-Fi, we can steer clear of annoying ads that keep interrupting our game.
For ads that persist even after turning off the Internet, simply clear our cache and enjoy an ad-free experience.
Manufacturers, too, understand the need for a feature that disables ads while playing games. To put an end to the users misery, many up and coming phones have a dedicated Game Mode that helps avoid ads. If supported, this feature can be found in Settings menu of a phone.
